I AM the Bread of Life
I AM: Jesus in the Present Tense
John 6:35-40
(Advance Slide 1)
Introduction
There are only two miracles that appear in all 4 of the gospels:
- Jesus' resurrection and the feeding of the 5,000
- All 4 tell about what He did but it is in Marks account that we learn why…His compassion for the crowd (Mark 6:34)
(Advance Slide 2)
In John's gospel it records the compassion in 3 ways:
- Feeding the hungry crowd
- Delivers the disciples from danger
- Offers the "bread of life"
(Advance Slide 3)
What does this world need?
- This world needs nothing more than the salvation that only Jesus brings.
- In His compassion, grace, mercy He offers this "bread of life"
- Not to fill their stomachs, but to fill their souls…because that is what they needed.
(Advance Slide 4)
Text
"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:35-40
(Advance Slide 5)
Prior to this statement Jesus had been followed by a large crowd
- We know this story, there is a small boys with a little lunch and Jesus feed 5,000
- Jesus walks on the water and calms the storm and the disciples
- The next day the crowd finds him!
(Advance Slide 6)
This sermon on “the bread of life” is actually a dialogue between Christ and the people.
- Jesus clearly identified what the bread is: He is the true Living Bread that came down from heaven.
- But He came, not only for Israel but for the whole world.
- And He came, not just to sustain life, but to give life!
- Seven times in this sermon, our Lord referred to His “coming down from heaven”, a statement that declared Him to be God.
- This dialogue began with the crowd seeking Christ and then seeking a sign, but listeners soon began to seek the “true bread” that Jesus talked about.
Lesson
Before we get to that sermon He delivered to the crowd lets look at this entire chapter.
- We will see how it all fits together and culminates in the His "I AM the Bread of Life" statement.
(Advance Slide 7)
Compassion for the Crowd
Bible people and modern people are a lot alike.
- As we read the Bible with a sincere heart we should begin to see ourselves as we really are.
- The more I read about the crowd that was seeking Jesus the more I see myself in that crowd.
- But Jesus had compassion on them.
- He realized that they were in a search that was leading them no where!
(Advance Text on Slide 7)
They were hungry
What is the purpose of hunger?
- It is to remind us that we need to eat!
- Yet, within us there is a deeper hunger that can't filled by a Snickers bar…only God can satisfy this hunger!
- Isn't it tragic that people ignore the One who really satisfies in a search for satisfaction.
- "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves ini rich food." Isaiah 55:2
- Hungry/seeking/hurting people must get lost in the crowd and keep busy in a multitude of activities in order to escape the demands of life.
(Advance Text on Slide 7)
They were seekers
In Jesus' first year of ministry He had the crowds…He was a popular guy!
- The crowds didn't impress Him though, neither did He cater to them.
- Anyone can slip into the crowd and go with the flow.
- It takes courage to stand alone for truth and obey!
This crowd was not seeking spiritual enrichment were they?
- They were looking for something sensational….maybe a miracle
- In 1 John 2:16, John called this sort mindset "worldly"
(Advance Slide 8)
Compassion for the Apostles
After Jesus feed the 5,000 and the leftovers were gathered, Jesus dismissed the disciples.
- vs. 16, they went down to the shore and got in a boat and set sail for Capernaum (across the sea).
- Jesus went to have some alone time…He went to the mountain to pray.
- Did He know that the storm was coming? Maybe?
- He did know that they were safer on the stormy sea than on the land with the spiritually blind, sled-motivated people.
They were in danger and Jesus went to them…on the water.
- vs. 21 says that they were glad to have Him aboard.
- Something miraculous happened then…they were where they were going.
Jesus had compassion on them!
(Advance Slide 9)
Compassion for the Lost World
Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1 tells us)
- In His grace He feed the crowd that seeking Him, but not seeking Him.
- It was in this town of Capernaum, that He shared what the miracle meant.
- Jesus , the "bread from heaven" offered the "bread of life"…"living bread"
Like us in their seeking they did ask Jesus questions, but they rejected His answers.
- Asking is good but we must act upon the advice.
- Rabbi, when did you get here?
- Jesus confronts them vs. 26, "Why are you seeking me? Do you want more food? You need to be seeking the food that leads to eternal life""
- What must we do to do the work God requires?
They were looking for immediate relief at no cost to them.
- I'm sure that they were happy to meet someone who could meet their needs.
- Sadly, they didn't want to deal with their sin and change their hearts.
- Jesus' statement to them was, "I AM" not "I WILL BE WHAT YOU WANT"
- The wanted to do something to be saved rather than "believing"
- They didn't deserve it…yet He feed them knowing that they would desert Him.
- Next the crowd is confused (will not be the first) about this bread.
- Our father ate manna form Moses.
- No, no Moses doesn't give "bread form heaven"
- The real "bread" comes down from heaven and gives life to the world!
- vs. 58 "This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."
(Advance Text on Slide 9)
When the crowd heard this they misunderstood Jesus and they reacted negatively towards it.
- "How can we eat and drink Him?"
- This was likely due to their spiritual blindness!
- This is nothing new to the gospel of John
- When Jesus spoke about His death and resurrection, they thought He was referring to destroying and rebuilding the Jewish temple (John 2:13–22).
- When Jesus taught about sinners being “born again,” Nicodemus thought only of physical birth (3:1–4).
- When He talked to the Samaritan woman about satisfying spiritual thirst, she thought He meant satisfying physical thirst by drinking water from the well (4:10–15).
(Advance Slide 10)
Jesus pleads with them:
- "I am the bread that came down form heaven" vs. 41
- "I have come down form heaven" vs. 42
- They cannot separate their stomach form their soul.
"So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. " vs. 53-56
Conclusion
(Advance Slide 11)
How do we feed on Him?
- As we meditate and study on His Word we "feed on Him"
- Jesus relating Himself to something a simple as a loaf of bread speaks to His humility.
When the crowd and His disciples heard the high cost of discipleship vs. 66 says that many turned and no longer followed.
- Jesus asked the remaining, "You going to leave too?"
- "Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
We live in a hung world, that is searching and cannot find what they need.
- How can we enjoy the feast and not tell others?
- What will we say?
(Advance Slide 12)
We have 3 choices to make:
- Believe, repent, and be baptized.
- Reject Him and pretend we have salvation (play the part of a counterfeit Christian).
- Reject Him and walk away!
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